Daycare Moms-need some advice

Just wondering how your DC is doing in daycare...my DD is currently with a nanny but there are forseen future layoffs at my husbands company and i am wondering if putting DD in daycare might save me a ton of money...
I have always worried because she is a terrible napper and i worry about all the children and lack of one on one...
maybe you have some insight??
Currently i pay almost 600 a week for a nanny... DD is 7.5 months...

Also, anyone out east in the Port Jeff area that could recommend a good place?

Thanks so much!

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

You have FM

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

DD goes to day care and has since she was just over 2 months old.

I have to say, she has thrived.

The ratios for teachers to children is lower when they are infants so there is a lot more 1:1 time.

As she gets bigger, it becomes more education-based and I love that-though they have plenty of free play time so it is not overly structured.

Once DD is two, she can take extra classes like tumbling, music and dance (though they do a lot of that stuff in her regular group).

Our program also has tons of outdoor play time, which was important because DD loves to be outside.

Outside of that, the reason we chose a daycare center is to have more eyes watching everything that is going on, the certification requirements. Also, I like her learning with a group her age.

I am sure anything you choose will be great, but I wanted to give you some feedback on centers since that is my experience.

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

DD has been on daycare since she was 14 weeks old. She's almost 21 months now. She LOVES it and so do I. The teachers are great - they take good care of her and we've really been happy.


ETA - DD had no problems with naps. When she was in the infant rooms, they sleep when they want to/have to now that she's in the toddler room she takes 1 long nap a day.

Message edited 7/9/2009 9:07:05 PM.

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

Thanks so much for your imput!

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

DD is 5 months and is now in daycare - this is the end of her 3rd week.

I have to say so far, I'm not happy, but a large part of that is that I'm not happy being back at work.

She is not napping enough which is becoming a huge problem for me because she is MISERABLE by the time we get home and I have the most laid back happy kid I know. I know there is an adjustment period, but my kid adjusts pretty easily, so I'm not sure what the problem is. She is also not finishing her bottles at daycare. At home, no problem, she naps well and eats well, but not at daycare. Although, she does seem to like it there.

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

DD is 15 months, she has been in daycare since she was 9 months. This past Wednesday was a huge turning point - the day she did NOT want to come home with me I know that it is GREAT, it says SO much about how much she loves where she is. My feelings were hurt but I am over it

I dreaded daycare, but we chose one that we were comfortablke with and we are thrilled. We love the teachers, she gets alot of attention and loves playing with the other kids. Whenever we pick her up she is playing, or the staff is holding her, talking with the kids. DD says SO many words and I think alot of it has to do with the interaction at daycare(they do flashcards with them).

Anyway-I of course would still prefer to be home with her-but daycare has been a good experience for us

ETA: sometimes she naps better at daycare then at home. They can sometimes still get her to take 2 a day, while I can only get her to take 1.

Message edited 7/10/2009 3:33:27 PM.

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

DS has been going to daycare since he was 6 months old and has been doing wonderfully! He likes interacting with other kids and eating lunch with them. Napping has never been a problem. The staff really likes him and I like having accountability. Whenever his teacher is out, there's always someone else to cover. He's gotten to the point where he would rather stay and play at daycare than come home. I guess the toys there are a lot more fun!

The downside is that he used to get sick so easily whenever one of the other kids caught something. Who knows how many days of work I had to take off initially whenever he would get sick and then later I would catch it! He seems to have gotten over that stage and his immunity appears to be stronger now!

Re: Daycare Moms-need some advice

I recently went from having a nanny to bringing my children to daycare. My youngest is a little older then your child currently is.

We just started daycare 2 weeks ago. Prior to that, I had the same nanny for almost 3 years. She started with me when my oldest was 3 months old. There are some wonderful aspects about having a nanny that you can trust caring for your children. I loved that aspect of it. But, as they grow, they start needing more interaction and structure, IMO. So, this past year, I enrolled my then 2 y/o in preschool. So now, I was paying for a nanny and preschool and the little guy needed something too. So when she gave her notice, I was almost a little relieved because it was time for my kids to move on.

They are still adjusting to their new enviornment but overall, it has been a great adjustment. Both are doing so well and I really like the teachers and assistants that they are with. Both get a structured day filled with learning and play. I love that about daycare. Both of them are napping and eating very well. My 14 month old is getting a little cranky when we get home but he is still getting used to a new schedule.

Overall, I am happy with the switch from a nanny to daycare. There are definitely some things I miss about having a nanny and esepcially the one I had because she was wonderful but there are some great things about daycare too.